Kayanja accuser's sentencing postponed

By Michael Odeng

PASTOR Robert Kayanja’s accuser, Moses Muwanguzi will have to wait a little longer to know his sentence over corruption and conspiracy to destroy his name and profession.

On Tuesday, the Anti-Corruption Court postponed the judgment to June 4, because the trial magistrate, Agnes Alum had gone for a workshop.

Muwanguzi was convicted last week on three counts of corruption, fabricating evidence and destroying evidence after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

The convict who is liable to suffer imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine for bribing a medical doctor with sh500, 000 for a report, implicating Kayanja of Sodomy. The convict is also likely to face seven years for fabricating and destroying evidence.

During mitigation last week, the convict confessed to the magistrate that he was misled by his co-accused, Ibrahim Nsubuga to tarnish pastor Kayanja's name by portraying him as a homosexual. Nsubuga is currently out on bail.

"Pastor Kayanja has never touched or slept with me. I therefore ask for forgiveness from him. I also pray court gives me a simple sentence," Muwanguzi lamented.  The convict has spent one year on remand at Luzira Prison.

Prosecution says that the convict on April 29, 2013 at Mpererwe trading center recorded a statement at police alleging that he had been sodomized by pastor Kayanja. In May 25, 2013 the convict was issued a police form to go for medical examination to prove the allegation.

Shortly, Nsubuga met Simon Kiryahika, a police officer from the Anti-terrorism unit with plans of extorting money from Kayanja and requested him to assist them to get a doctor who would make a false report, showing that Muwanguzi was sodomised by Kayanja.

However, the police promised to get them a doctor and informed the pastor of the intentions of the accused persons.

In June 1, 2013 the police connected the accused persons to doctor Umaru Kasule from Mulago hospital. On that fateful day a camera was placed in the doctor's room and the duo told the doctor to make a report showing that in April 2012 Muwanguzi had gone to him complaining that he had been sodomized.

However, Muwanguzi confessed to the doctor that he had not been sodomized but he wanted to extort money from Kayanja. The accused persons had promised the doctor sh2m. This prompted the doctor to report the case to Mulago police station.

In June 2013 the accused persons went back to the doctor's office and found plain clothed security personnel who pretended to be the doctors' assistant who in turn arrested the accused persons after giving the doctor sh500, 000 as a bribe.

However during interrogation, Nsubuga denied the charges while a caution statement was extracted from the convict (Muwanguzi) who confessed having committed the crime with Nsubuga.